Morning Reading: What Did I Miss?
Good thing The Bull Gator isn’t my job (if so my annual performance reviews probably wouldn’t go very well) because if it was, I picked the wrong week to head off on vacation. The final few games of the World Cup, the biggest free agent signing news in the history of the NBA, and we inched closer to the college football season and moved within two months of the
Florida
/
USF
game. Maybe one day I’ll get another writer to fill in while I’m away, but until then, you’re stuck with my absences from time to time.
While I enjoyed the World Cup final, I’m sure it did little to get more Americans into the sport – a game with only one goal that wasn’t scored until well into the second extra time. I enjoyed it, even if most score happy fans didn’t. In case you missed it, it was a game in which 14 yellow cards were handed out. With only 22 total players on the field, the fact that 13 were carded (the Netherlands’ John Heitinga was carded twice) is actually quite amazing. Those of you not interested in anything soccer have a nice long break before you have to even think about the sport again. Back to your regularly scheduled lives.
I caused a little bit of a stir on Twitter (yes, that was the second Twitter mention already – there is clearly something wrong with me – not a fan of it only a year ago, I have embraced it maybe too much) on the night of LeBron James’ big announcement. I basically said anyone who has ever left a job for another opportunity needs to take a look in the mirror before they bash James for leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers. It was in response to a number of comments I had read hammering James for choosing the Miami Heat. Although I doubt many people both read my tweets and my TBG posts, I figured I’d clarify my thoughts here anyway.
I’m not a LeBron James’ fan. As a fan of sports overall, I respect his athletic ability and am genuinely excited to see what he can do with Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade in Miami, but I don’t really like him. The television special to announce his decision solidified those feelings and even pushed me to border on outright distaste for James. The spectacle was a joke. As One Eyed Willy said to me in an email before the event had even occurred – and I’m paraphrasing here – “James thinks he’s bigger than the NBA, and that’s just sad.” It really is, and for that, I say hate the guy all you want. BUT…
You really need to think about why you hate him. If you hate him because he left Cleveland then you seriously need to check your head. Since the end of the NBA season we’ve all heard there was a serious possibility James would return to the Cavs. We are fools to even have believed that for one second. James always said he wanted to win. As soon as Bosh and Wade made their announcements, we all should have known exactly where James would end up. Bash him for thinking he is bigger than the league. Bash him for the television special that probably made you want to throw up. But don’t bash him for exercising his right to sign with whatever team he wanted. We need to stop thinking there’s loyalty in sports. It’s so rare that we’re surprised when it happens, but when it doesn’t we are quick to throw stones at the guilty party. It’s time to realize loyalty in sports is the one-in-50-million lottery ticket and move on.
Yesterday was July 11, 2010. Two months to the day the Bulls head to Gainesville to take on the Gators. If the creation of this site over two years ago was leading up to a defining moment, September 11, 2010 just might be it. Florida hosts USF. I know I talk about a lot on this site when it comes to sports and teams or school – I go through periods where I’ll bring up just about any sport if the moment strikes me – but it all goes back to three things. College football, the Bulls, and the Gators. Those make up the underlying theme of TBG even if at times it’s hard to see. On that date, those three things come together in the best way possible. On the field. I’ll be there of course (running this site and missing that game would be beyond disastrous), but there will be much more on that later. For now, start counting down until the game. 61 days.
Even less than 61 days is the start of the 2010 college football season. We have a lot to look forward to this season. John Brantley, Skip Holtz, Lane Kiffin in another new place, a few teams in possibly their last year in their current conference, Ronald Powell, College Gameday, and a returning Heisman Trophy winner to name a few. If you can’t wait any longer and are still just a 10-year-old at heart (like me more often than not), NCAA Football 11 is released tomorrow. Play through the virtual 2010 season while you wait for the real one to begin.